Tuesday, September 27, 2011

A Deadly Case of SENIORITIS

Curing and Preventing Senioritis

By Priyanka Surio

Everyone gets it at one point in their lives and it can be very very contagious! All of us can admit to being exposed in high school when we got our acceptance letters to college and felt that we needn’t jump over mountains and under hoops to study for exams or work on projects. But according to CollegeBoard and USA Today, what is becoming more common as a result of this attitude is the alarming fact that “every year colleges rescind offers of admission, put students on academic probation, or alter financial aid packages as a result of "senioritis." Now the vicious cycle threatens to continue for us seniors or those graduating from Undergraduate or Graduate school.

Symptoms
• Laziness
• Procrastination
• Excuses
• Lack of interest in all things school related
• Desire to just have fun
• Lack of seriousness
• Frustration and stress

Outcomes
• Can lead to plummeting grades
• Can lead to getting fired from jobs
• Can be chronic and deadly to your career goals

THE CURE!

There is indeed a very effective cure and prevention steps to make sure you don’t fall susceptible to this disease.

• Don’t allow yourself to get in the mindset that you are done and your responsibilities don’t matter, because even in the real world after you graduate, your responsibilities only increase.
• Do not get peer pressured into going out every night. Demonstrate self-control. You can do work Sunday - Thursday and have the last two days to yourself as a reward for working hard throughout the week.
• Do not let things slide and pile up. Time management is not for nerds only! Keep a calendar of activities and a list of things to do, and cross off the list each time you complete something. Even schedule some “me” time in there. You’ll feel more organized, stay on track, more accomplished, and more deserving of your breaks.
• Don’t just coast by with easy classes. By no means do we recommend you enroll in the hardest finance or science class, but enrolling in courses that keep your interest or that will be beneficial to you in the future, whether in graduate school or the workforce, will help to keep your attention. For example, if you are planning on working for ESPN after college as a news writer it might not hurt to take a few communication classes to learn the graphics and technical side of new television. Or let’s say you are aspiring to become a lawyer or a doctor, business classes may not hurt especially if you plan on owning your own practice at some point. These classes will pique your interest especially since they are not something you are familiar with and can just rely on prior knowledge for.
• Don’t burn bridges and don’t get frustrated. Gloria Varley an assistant director of health at the University of Georgia Health Center says, “[Senioritis] is several things – perhaps frustration, you’re done with [school] and want to move on”. A common onset to senioritis is this feeling that we can’t improve our situation or outcome, so we act apathetic or uncaring towards our academics, yearning to move on. One bad grade or an unfortunate experience with a teacher shouldn’t make or break your academic career. The choice is up to you on whether you improve your situation and can make something better out of it.
• School is your JOB! Remember, being a student is an occupation so treat it as such. Make an effort to prepare ahead for classes and be on time. In the real world, unprepared and late workers get fired, so get used to building good habits early on and don’t allow yourself to slack off even in that last semester because it is so hard to climb back up the hill once you’ve rolled down!
• Don’t STRESS! You will manage to get more done if you relax and take it one step, one day at a time. Don’t eat with your eyes and overload your plate full of things you won’t be able to complete. If you feel as if you can’t handle everything or are dealing with more than you can chew, the Counseling Center can help you manage your stress. They are your trustworthy resource in stressful times. The ACAR and Ombudsperson is also here as a resource to listen to your troubles while providing useful tips for future action.

Well what if I’m not going to school afterwards?

The worst thing about this deadly disease is its transmissibility. Senioritis can spread to the job search, securing an internship or applying for that entry level position and following through with employers. Ways to prevent this from occurring are to start EARLY!

Maybe you are confused about where to begin. The Toppel Career Center should always be your go to place to begin your first steps into a successful career. What we recommend for a successful job search:

• Pinpoint – What do you want to do? Take a Career/Personality test to determine your specific field
• Learn – how to write a stellar resume, how to win employers over with a cover letter, and how to knock your interview out of the park, by coming to our workshops or stopping by Walk in Advising hours Monday- Thursday 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Network – with Networking and Career Events, Information Sessions, Career Fairs, On Campus Recruiting
• Search – for jobs in specific industries and Schedule to meet with our advisors to determine which job is a good fit for you. Also search for employers and recruiters who are part of that company so you can speak with them about their experiences. It’s your turn to conduct the interview in order to find out if this is the potential career you wish to build for yourself.
• Follow up – Don’t just apply and wait twiddling your thumbs. Follow up with a cover letter and/or email to the HR department. If you can, call and let them know you applied, and if you still haven’t heard back after a week or two, check the status of your application.